Author: Dan Hiergesell

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will make his second appearance under the Professional Fighters League (PFL) banner later tonight (Fri., June 25, 2021) at PFL 6 live on ESPN+/ESPN2 from inside Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and “Showtime” finds himself in a must-win situation.

Pettis made his PFL debut this past April against former UFC fighter and professional boxer Clay Collard. While Pettis was favored to win the lightweight matchup it was Collard who did more over the course of 15 minutes to walk away with the unanimous decision. The loss snapped Pettis’ two-fight win streak he carried over from UFC and it once again provided some doubt about his ability to return to his dominant ways.

Luckily, Pettis will have another opportunity to prove his worth as a member of the PFL roster when he takes on Raush Manfio tonight at PFL 6. Pettis will need a finish over the young Brazilian to score enough points to secure his playoff spot in the 155-pound division. It is a big moment for the former UFC champion and one that has forced him to refine his training and focus on the things he needs to improve.

“I immediately focused on my boxing,” Pettis told MMA Junkie. “I’m gonna use a lot more hands in this fight. I’ve been posting it. Everybody’s seen what I’ve been attacking. He knows what I’m gonna be doing. I’m gonna be putting my hands together. I’m looking to put these hands on him, and I’m not gonna force the kicks, I’m not gonna force anything flashy. You’re gonna see a well fought, smart fight by me.”

Pettis, 34, was once considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but after losing his UFC lightweight title back in 2015 the veteran simply hasn’t been able to rise back to the top. “Showtime” has gone just 6-8 since that title loss and is still trying to find himself again inside of the cage. It will be interesting to see Pettis put his new training to use later tonight at PFL 6 against a hungry and confident fighter like Manfio.

“He has a great right hand, counter right hand, good left check-hook,” Pettis said. “He doesn’t have too much off his back. When he’s on his back, he doesn’t look for submissions, he’s not trying to go for crazy stuff, but my game plan is to knock him out. I’m gonna go out there in the orthodox stance. I’ve been showing it on my feeds. There’s nothing that I’m gonna change. I’ve been showing everything that I’ve been doing. I’m gonna put him in the orthodox stance, I’m gonna find my rhythm, I’m gonna build up a range, and once I find that range, it’s showtime.”

What say you, Maniacs? Does Pettis get back on track later tonight at PFL 6?

Sound off!

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the PFL 6 main card below, which begins at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2. We’ll also provide quick results for the “Prelims” undercard on ESPN+, which will start streaming at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Anderson Silva traded his MMA gloves in for a pair of boxing gloves last night (Sat., June 19, 2021) at the “Tribute To The Kings” event live on FITE.TV pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, as “Spider” met former WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the co-main event. The former UFC middleweight champion ended up shocking the boxing world by defeating Chavez Jr. over the course of eight rounds.

Silva looked comfortable early as he used his footwork and movement to stay out of serious trouble and land some solid punches from range. Chavez Jr. seemed to have trouble timing “Spider” and became a little frustrated. When Chavez Jr. did find his opportunity to throw some punches Silva invited him into the corner like he used to do along the Octagon cage. Silva’s showboating was on full display.

Silva landed a massive uppercut to begin the fourth round that caught the attention of Chavez Jr. The former UFC champion really started to take control as he sized Chavez Jr. up and unleashed hard punches to the head and body on the inside. When the action separated “Spider” was there for crisp jabs and uppercuts.

Silva continued to pour it on in the fifth round with combinations on the inside and more lead jabs. Chavez Jr. tried to uncork some power shots in the sixth round, but Silva ate them and returned favor with punches in bunches along the ropes. Silva score more damage in the seventh as inside uppercuts really started to bust up the face of Chavez Jr.

It was much of the same in the eighth and final round as Silva’s dictated the range and pace of the fight. Chavez Jr. knew he was down on the scorecards and tried to tee up a fight-saving knockout, but Silva absorbed everything and put the finishing touches on one hell of a combat accomplishment.

Check out some of the video highlights below:

For complete ‘Silva vs. Chavez Jr.’ results and coverage click HERE.

Former UFC middleweight champion and all-time MMA legend Anderson Silva will make his return to the boxing ring later tonight (Sat., June 19, 2021) when he takes on former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the “Tribute To The Kings” event live on FITE.TV pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Silva, who parted ways with UFC back in Nov. 2020, has only won two out of his last 10 MMA fights dating back to 2012. The former UFC middleweight champion is nowhere near what he used to be, but “The Spider” is hoping to turn back the clock and capture a win inside of the boxing ring. It should be noted that Silva’s last boxing match occurred all the way back in 2005 and he ended up defeating Julio Cesar de Jesus via second-round knockout.

Unfortunately for Silva, he’ll be making his boxing return against a legitimate fighter in Chavez Jr. The former WBC champion is 52-5-1 throughout his pro career and has fought guys like Canelo Alvarez, Daniel Jacobs, and Andy Lee. Chavez Jr. did miss weight and will have to fork over $100K of his purse to Silva, but that’s not going to stop the Mexican fighter from brining the heat on Saturday night.

It may not be the biggest boxing matchup of the year, but if you’re a fan of combat sports you almost have to watch Anderson Silva try his luck at professional boxing. The former UFC king has been talking about this crossover for years and it’s finally happening. Check out below for all the ways to catch the action live on FITE.TV PPV.

Start Time

• Sat., June 19, 2021 from inside the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico
• Main card begins at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• “Prelims” undercard begins at 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT

Online Viewing

• “Silva vs. Chavez Jr.” PPV main card can be viewed through FITE.TV. The PPV will cost $39.99.

Mobile Viewing

• “Silva vs. Chavez Jr.” PPV main card will be accessible through the FITE.TV app. Click HERE for full details and streaming options.

Main Card

Exhibition: Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. vs. Hector Camacho Jr.
182 lbs.: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Anderson Silva
Middleweight: Omar Chavez vs. Ramon Alvarez
Junior Middleweight: Damian Sosa vs. Abel Mina

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s main card, starting with the FITE.TV PPV broadcast at 9 p.m. ET.

Chan Sung Jung and Dan Ige delivered the goods in their main event clash last night (Sat., June 19, 2021) at UFC Vegas 29 live on ESPN2/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, with “Korean Zombie” outlasting Ige in a pivotal featherweight showdown (highlights HERE).

In addition to the headlining act, a long list of main card and “Prelims” fights produced incredible action. Check them out below and let us know your favorite:

• Undefeated women’s flyweight prospect Casey O’Neill scored a beautiful third-round submission win over talented contender Lara Procopio (highlights HERE)
• Veteran fighter Rick Glenn made his first Octagon appearance since Nov. 2018 and ended up finishing Joaquim Silva with a 37-second TKO
• Matt Brown turned back the clock to score a vicious one-punch knockout finish over former Ultimate Fighter pupil Dhiego Lima (watch it HERE)
• Octagon newcomer Bruno Silva lived up to his hype with a brutal knockout finish over middleweight veteran Wellington Turman
• Bantamweights Marlon Vera and Davey Grant met in a wild rematch of rising contenders, as Vera bloodied “Dangerous” in an exciting decision win
• Surging featherweight prospect Seungwoo Choi pushed his current UFC win streak to three with a lopsided TKO finish over veteran Julian Erosa (check it out HERE)

In order to sift through the action and see which fighters took home an extra $50,000, we take a closer look at the official UFC Vegas 29 bonus winners below:

• Fight of the Night: Marlon Vera vs. Davey Grant
• Performance of the Night: Matt Brown
• Performance of the Night: Seungwoo Choi

For complete UFC Vegas 29 results and coverage click here.

Chan Sung Jung proved he’s still a top featherweight earlier tonight (Sat., June 19, 2021) at UFC Vegas 29 live on ESPN2/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when “Korean Zombie” outlasted battled-tested contender Dan Ige to the tune of a unanimous decision win.

Korean Zombie was surprisingly patient in the first round as he tried to time his strikes and even mixed in a takedown. Ige was right there to counter, though, as he hit Korean Zombie with some nice uppercuts and hooks. Korean Zombie came out firing in the second and planted Ige on his butt in the early going. Ige returned favor with some whipping leg kicks, but it was Jung who commanded the pace.

In Round 3, Korean Zombie went back to his wrestling and secured another timely takedown. Korean Zombie quickly took the back of Ige and nearly locked in a rear-naked choke. Ige fought nicely but was giving up some serious control time to Jung. Ige tried to return the favor in the fourth round and came out more aggressive to score some good shots, but Korean Zombie yet again went back to the takedown to take control.

Ige needed a finish in the fifth round and he came out swinging like his life depended on it. Korean Zombie ate some really hard punches, but Jung once again utilized his grappling and gained back control off another takedown. In the end, Korean Zombie cruised to the decision win.

Check out the full fight video highlights below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:

For complete UFC Vegas 29 results and coverage click here.

As soon as UFC Vegas 29 wraps up later tonight (Sat., June 19, 2021) live on ESPN2/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, fight fans can check out the live post-fight press conference video above for all the best reaction and official bonus winners.

On a night that features a featherweight main event between perennial contender “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and rising finisher Dan Ige, a co-headliner pitting heavyweight contender Aleksei Oleinik against streaking youngster Serghei Spivac, and a welterweight clash between a returning Matt Brown and Brazilian veteran Dhiego Lima, there will be a lot to discuss when the action winds down.

The post-fight presser is scheduled to go live at 10:15 p.m. ET, featuring the biggest winners and losers from the card.

For complete UFC Vegas 29 results and coverage click here.